Tanasevitch A.V. 2025. Notes on the spider genus Plesiophantes Heimer, 1981, with the first description of the female of P. tanasevitchi Wunderlich, 2011 (Aranei: Linyphiidae) // Invert. Zool. Vol.22. No.4. P.718–726 [in English].
A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospekt 33, Moscow 119071 Russia.
Andrei Tanasevitch: tanasevitch@gmail.com or atanasevitch@mail.ru ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9116-606X
doi: 10.15298/invertzool.22.4.11
ABSTRACT. The male holotype and a previosly unknown female of Plesiophantes tanasevitchi Wunderlich, 2011 are described for the first time. Two new combinations are proposed: Plesiophantes globularis (Tanasevitch, 2011), comb.n. ex Megalepthyphantes Wunderlich, 1994; and Turinyphia simplex (Tanasevitch, 1987), comb.n. ex Plesiophantes Heimer, 1981. The holotypes of both P. globularis (♀) and P. tanasevitchi (♂), as well as a ♂ paratype of P. joosti Heimer, 1981 are illustrated. The particular structure of the epigyne in the genus is briefly discussed. Taking into account new data, the genus includes three species: P. globularis, P. joosti, and P. tanasevitchi, being characterised by the presence of a peculiar synapomorphy termed “inflatus”, an outgrowth of the back wall of the epigyne that contains twisted copulatory ducts.
KEY WORDS: Araneae, taxonomy, new combinations, Turinyphia, Caucasus.